


O Valencia

by revolutionaryfury



Series: Friends of December (Based on Decemberists songs) [2]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang World, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Coming of Age, Enjolras and Montparnasse are twins, Forbidden Love, Gang Violence, Intense, M/M, Sad and Happy, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 11:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5003113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revolutionaryfury/pseuds/revolutionaryfury
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You belong to the gang and you say you can't break away. But I'm here with my hands on my heart."</p>
            </blockquote>





	O Valencia

**Author's Note:**

> I know I need to update High School is Shit and other stories, but I've been needing to write more stories based on songs by The Decemberists, my all time favorite band! Please do check this song out! <3 It's called "O Valencia" (wow, no shit).

_You belong to the gang,_  
And you say you can't break away.  
But I'm here with my hands on my heart.

            The first time Julien Enjolras and Nicolas Grantaire met, they were seven and five, among a large group of children on a suburban playground. R was a childishly chubby boy with curly black hair and twinkling eyes. Enjolras was tall for a seven-year-old with cold blue eyes and high cheekbones. He looked hard and intimidating and the other kids on the playground avoided him. All of the kids but R.

            He skipped up to the older boy and grinned. “Hi!” he said. “I’m R! You didn’t have anyone to play with, but you can play with me.”  

            Enjolras looked down at the little boy and the edge of his mouth curled upwards for a moment. “I don’t play,” he said coldly. “Playing is for children.”

            “But you’re a kid too,” R argued, a confused expression on his face. “We’re both kids.”

            Enjolras resisted the urge to kick the annoying boy in the face. He could too, if he wanted. He took a deep breath and glanced over to his twin brother Montparnasse. ‘Parnasse was playing with a little girl in the sand pit, smiling and laughing with her. R followed his gaze and broke into a grin.

            “Hey, that’s my little sister ‘Ponine! Well, she’s not really my little sister, but my mama and daddy took her and ‘Zelma away from their parents ‘cause they weren’t good people. So she’s pretty much my sister. Hey, we should play with ‘Ponine and her friend! Hey! ‘Ponine! ‘Ponine!” R grabbed Enjolras’s hand and smiled radiantly. “C’mon!” He dragged the blonde boy over to his sister. “Hi, ‘Ponine! This is my new friend. His name is…um…”

            “Enjolras,” Montparnasse answered. “He’s my brother. We’re seven.”

            “Oh!” R cried, overjoyed. “That’s awesome! I’m R and that’s my little sister Eponine. My other little sister Azelma is with Mama over there.” He pointed vaguely to the left.

            Enjolras glared daggers at his brother. “That’s not my name,” he snarled. “I’m Jacob and you’re Isaac, remember?” He couldn’t believe at Montparnasse could be so stupid. From birth, they’d been trained to never give their real names out to “pedestrians” as Dad called them. They came up with new names every time they went out and only went by their real or preferred names to The Family.

            “Oh…right. I’m sorry, R and ‘Ponine. My name is Isaac, uh…Isaac…”

            “Isaac Lindy,” Enjolras improvised. “And I’m Jacob Lindy.”

            R seemed oblivious to the struggle between the two boys. “Oh. Nice to meetcha! What should we play?”

            “Sandbox!” ‘Ponine piped up. “I wanna play sandbox!”

            “Aw, c’mon, ‘Ponine,” R whined, “you’ve been in the sandbox this whole time.”

            “Look – look. R, you and your sister figure out what to play. I’d like to talk to my brother for a minute. We’ll be right back.” Enjolras dragged Montparnasse away from the squabbling siblings and into a little grove of pine trees that grew by the playground. He cast a furtive eye around at the parents watching their children. Seeing that none of them were looking, he gave his brother a quick, hard slap. “You idiot,” he hissed. “You know we’re covering for Dad. If we give our real names to those kids, they could talk to their parents about us. Y’know what – we’re connected to Dad. You want police officers to come in and shoot our whole family? Is that what you what? Should I go tell Dad you wish he and Mom were dead?”

            “No!” Montparnasse snapped. “No! I wanna be alive and you know I don’t want Mom and Dad to die. I’m sorry, Enjy – Jacob. I’m sorry, okay? I’ll be more careful.”

            “Good,” Enjolras growled. “Now get those kids away from us.”

            Montparnasse guiltily walked over to R and his sister and said they didn’t want to play.

            The second time Enjolras met Nicolas Grantaire, they were thirteen and eleven. He was hanging out at a corner store near a local middle school with his brother. They were distracting the owner of the store while Dad kidnapped the owner’s wife and teenage daughters for some Family purpose. Montparnasse was doing well – he was asking the owner questions about various products and engaging him in friendly conversation. The distraction was perfect.

            Enjolras, on the other hand, hung back. He grabbed a Coke from the coolers and laid a few crumpled dollars on the counter before sipping at it. He felt…conflicted. Here was ‘Parnasse, doing his job well and with a genuine smile on his face and here he himself was, hanging back and thinking too much. Something about this whole mission didn’t feel right. Dad wouldn’t tell him and ‘Parnasse why he had to have the wife and daughters. He’d just said he needed them. That had seemed to be good enough for ‘Parnasse, who’d nodded with a smile.

            Enjolras felt a huge sense of unease. He felt that both he and his brother were changing, but neither in good ways. As he’d gotten older, he’d become less sure of The Family’s methods, followed less blindly and questioned more. ‘Parnasse had grown in the opposite way. He was like Dad’s little pet. He’d grown into a proper Family Member that asked no questions and took no prisoners.

            Enjolras took a nervous gulp of Coke as he heard his twin say, “Oh, right! Mr. Ogawa, that’s my brother Erik over there.” There was a slight edge to his voice only Enjolras could hear – an edge that said: Don’t stand around and mope. Get involved in the job we’re doing!

            The middle-aged Japanese man who owned the corner store grinned. “Hello, Erik! Your brother Logan is a good boy.” Mr. Ogawa looked so nice and unimposing. Enjolras felt a sharp stab of guilt. Why were he and ‘Parnasse doing this? What would happen to Mr. Ogawa’s wife and daughters? The girls weren’t much older than he and ‘Parnasse. In fact, Dad had vaguely mentioned that one of them was only twelve. He felt sick.

            “Erik is shy,” Montparnasse said, glaring in a positively acidic manner. “Sorry about that.”

            “Oh. Uh…hi,” Enjolras mumbled. “Um…yeah, sorry. I’m Erik. Nice to meet you.” He continued to make forced conversation with the man until they heard an ear-shattering scream and the tale tell pop of a gunshot from the back alley.

            “Boys, hide!” Mr. Ogawa cried, and grabbed a heavy bat from behind his counter. He dashed outside and more screams and yelling ensued.

            Enjolras and Montparnasse exchanged a look. “Let’s go,” ‘Parnasse grunted, and the two booked it outside. They were met with a shocking scene: Dad was lying on the ground, clutching his shoulder with a pained grimace on his face. A terrified-looking kid, maybe ten or eleven, was holding a handgun in shaking hands. He was olive-skinned with curly black hair, chubby cheeks, and tears streaming down his face. Mr. Ogawa was standing between his family and the gun.

            “Get inside!” Enjolras screamed at them. “Go, go! What are you waiting for? Get inside and lock the doors! And – and don’t you dare call the police!” he added, sensing ‘Parnasse’s eyes giving him death. Mr. Ogawa managed a nod and he and his family scrambled into the store.

            Montparnasse stalked over to the trembling boy with the gun and knocked it out of his hands. He grabbed the boy by the neck and slammed him against the wall of the corner store. “You’re gonna regret this, kiddy,” he hissed. He looked to Dad. “Dad, you okay?”

            Dad managed to get up and chuckled. His long blonde hair was bloodstained. “Don’t worry, boys. The boy grazed me. It did like a bitch, but it shocked me more than anything.”

            Something in Enjolras’s brain clicked. “R,” he murmured quietly to himself. He looked to the kid gasping for breath and trying to pry ‘Parnasse’s fingers from his neck. “R,” he said louder. “’Parnasse, stop. Stop! I know the kid!”

            Montparnasse’s fingers loosened and the kid fell to the ground in a panting heap. “Enj, there had better had been a good reason for me to stop. This brat just tried to kill Dad!”

            Dad walked up R, who was huddled on the ground. He was a tall and thin man who had a presence like a dragon. His long blonde hair was tied back in a bloody tail. He bared his teeth in some semblance of a smile at the kid. “What’s your name, little boy?” he hissed.

            R opened his mouth and nothing but a squeak came out.

            “When an adult asks you a question, you respond, boy,” Dad growled.

            “Yeah!” Montparnasse added.

            “R, his name is R!” Enjolras cried.

            Dad turned his draconian gaze on Enjolras. “How do you know R?”

            “’Parnasse and I met him six years ago, sir,” he murmured. “It was that mission where we were at a playground in – in the suburbs. He was just a little kid messing with us, but I remembered him.”

               Dad grunted. “Does this R know anything about us, son?”

            “No, sir,” Enjolras said. “We used aliases like you told us. Like right now, my name is Erik.”

            “J-Jacob,” R stammered, his big dark eyes widening.

            “Good boy,” Dad acknowledged. He turned back to R. “What did you just call my son?”

            “Jacob,” Enjolras said quickly. “It was the name we were using that day, I guess, sir. I don’t know why he remembers.”  

            “I’m not talking to you, Erik. I’m talking to your little friend here. So, boy, your name is R. Just one little letter, hmm? How sweet. Well, R, I think there’s an elephant in the proverbial room. What are we going to do with you? You’ve witnessed something you shouldn’t, and added injury to insult. First things first, you give me that gun.”

            Montparnasse reached down and grabbed the gun from the ground. He handed it to Dad. “Here you go, sir.”

            Dad scowled at ‘Parnasse. “Did I ask you to give it to me?”

            “N-no, sir. Sorry, sir. You asked R, not me.”

            R piped up, “You – you were tryin’ to kidnap those girls. I had to shoot you ‘cause you were tryin’ to kidnap those girls.” The younger boy looked at Enjolras, who felt his heart clench. “Jacob…you and Isaac are evil.”

            “No, R,” Enjolras said, sounding strained. “We’re not evil. We’re not. It’s…it’s what we do.”

            He, Dad, and Montparnasse began to argue. Heated words flew across the alleyway, most of them directed at Enjolras. Montparnasse ranted at him, saying that he’d grown soft. He asked what had happened to his hard, smart brother whom he’d idolized. “You turned me into who I am today!” he roared. “And now you’re a whiny little bitch!” Dad tried to calm the boys and ended up giving ‘Parnasse a sharp blow to the back of the head when he wouldn’t stop cursing at Enjolras.

            Enjolras listened to everything that was going on, but he was keeping an eye on little R. He saw the boy edging slowly backwards, smartly staying on his back. He moved an inch at a time, farther and farther away from the explosive argument before jumping to his feet and sprinting away from the scene.

            Dad roared, “Fuck!” and then smacked Montparnasse so hard that he toppled over. His rage was strong enough that he gave his son a kick in the ribs for good measure. “Why did you let him go? Why didn’t you keep your eyes on him at all times, you useless little shit?!”

            “I’m sorry, sir, I’m sorry!” Montparnasse cried hoarsely.

            “I’ll give you something to be sorry about,” Dad muttered darkly. He grabbed the younger twin’s arm and yanked him up harshly. “We’re going home. Enjolras, come.” They all shuffled off. Enjolras couldn’t tell why he felt like crying.

XXX

 _Our families can't agree._ __  
I'm your brother's sworn enemy.  
But I'll shout out my love to the stars!

_So wait for the stone on your window, your window._ _  
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go._

            The Family changed locations often. They’d lived all over the United States, from Oregon to Arkansas to Hawaii. They’d been living in suburban California for years before the whole thing with R happened. Shortly after the debacle, all of the Family Members moved away. They lived in rural Montana until the twins were seventeen, but Enjolras could never forget the boy with chubby cheeks and curly hair. After about four years, Dad did something unexpected: he decided he wanted to move back to a town they’d already lived in.

            They returned in the summer to another nice suburban neighborhood in California in the same town they’d lived in when they were young. The twins spent their days helping with Family business and their nights pretending not to hear Dad doing his deeds. When they had a day off, Montparnasse would go to the gym and savagely practice kickboxing. Enjolras would wander the city looking for his long-ago friend. Enjolras remained his father’s favorite child, despite Montparnasse’s unfailing loyalty to The Family and efforts to gain his father’s preference. This caused animosity to grow between the brothers. Enjolras thought Montparnasse was turning into a psychopath just for Dad’s love and ‘Parnasse resented Enjolras so much that it fueled his rage even further.

            It was on a day off Family duties that R was found, but not by Enjolras. He was biking through the suburb for what felt like the thousandth time when he heard his name – well, at least that day’s alias – being called by Montparnasse. “Hunter!” Montparnasse roared. “Hunter, stop!”

            Enjolras braked and came to an abrupt stop, nearly going over the handlebars. “Yeah?” he panted, righting himself.

            “Hey, I found something crazy,” ‘Parnasse said with a devilish grin. “Something really wild. I think you’ll wanna see this.”

            “Sure,” Enjolras said warily.  His brother jogged off and he biked behind for about twenty-five minutes. They wound their way out of the smooth sidewalks of the suburbs and clattered along a forest path. “Mont, where are you taking me?” Enjolras asked as he biked over a crumbling footbridge. They made their way off the path and through thick groves of trees that grew thicker and thicker. The blonde boy’s legs felt like Jell-O by the time Montparnasse got around to answering.

            “I’ve got a surprise for you, Enjy,” the black-haired boy chuckled. “Something from our childhood. We’ll bond over it, promise.”

            Enjolras gave a weak grin at the use of his childhood nickname. Something in his twin’s sinister smile and childlike language scared him deeply. “That’s really good, Monty,” he enthused. “I’d love to bond.”

            “Good, ‘cause we’re here!” Montparnasse crowed. “Get off your bike, Enjy. C’mon, c’mon!” He was almost jumping up and down with excitement.

            Enjolras dropped his bike and followed his brother into a clearing near a small lake. At first, he couldn’t see what he was supposed to be so excited over. But then…right in the center of the clearing sat a boy. Not so much a boy anymore, he was closer to being a man. He was a short and stocky teen with curly black hair and a bloodied face. His wrists and ankles were bound with rope and another rope around his middle secured him to a tree stump behind him. His left eye was swollen shut and from where Enjolras stood, he could see that someone had carved “BOY” into his arm.

            “R,” Enjolras whispered. He took a faltering step towards the teen and turned to Montparnasse, plastering on what he hoped was a convincing smile. “This – this is great, ‘Parnasse! You captured the boy from the corner store!” His voice was high and hysterical, something hardly held together.

            Montparnasse broke out into a sunny grin. “Yeah! I found out where he lives and tracked him down and everything! Since he’s why we’re not close anymore, I thought we could take him out. You hear that, Boy?” he called to R.  “It’s your dying day and my brother and I are gonna end you together!”

            Enjolras’s mind was going at a million miles an hour. He needed to get R out of there and he needed Montparnasse gone. He knew that much. He wondered if R could even walk. Dear God, he thought, even though he had never prayed before, please, please help me. I know I never believed you and I know the things I’ve done are probably going to send me to hell. I can accept that. But R is innocent. R is just a kid and I need him to be safe. Please, please help me get him to safety. Please, if you’re real, help me…help me to help him. 

            He took a breath and gave an expression that hadn’t happened across his face for many years. Despite its lack of use, this expression, a grin, was something that could never be forgotten. It was the cruel grin of a beautiful person who had no remorse. It was grin accompanied by icy blue eyes and cheek bones like knife points. It was a grin two beautiful twins had shared long, long ago. It was a grin that promised elegant savagery.

            And as it slowly snaked its way across Julien Enjolras’s face, R blearily opened his black eyes. Those black eyes caught that brutal smile and something inside them crumpled. Lost hope. Accepted a bloody, painful betrayal with a kind of shocked sadness that felt like hot dagger in Enjolras’s gut.

            “Perfect,” he said coldly, wanting to throw his arms around R and apologize over and over. “Perfect. I’m ready. You brought something, right? Knives or something?”

            Montparnasse groaned. “No. Fuck, sorry. Little brat put up a fight when I was giving him that –” He gestured to the bloody letters in R’s arm “– and broke my knife. I got excited and ran to get you. Sorry, Hunter. Fuck. I wanted this to be perfect and now it’s…fuck.”

            “That’s okay!” Enjolras said, thanking God over and over in his head. “It’s alright, Jack. Go home and grab my hunting knife and lighter. They’re in my top drawer. Take my bike and hurry! Go!” Montparnasse nodded enthusiastically and took off into the woods.

            Enjolras waited for exactly a minute and a half before he couldn’t take it anymore. He tore towards R and fell to his knees in front of the half-conscious boy. “R – R, I’m so sorry. Jesus Christ, what did he do to you? I’m so sorry. We don’t have much time. He’s enthusiastic and riding my bike…well, I lied about where the knife and lighter were. Maybe that’ll slow him down. Jesus. We’ve got maybe twenty minutes…thirty at most…shit…I’m so sorry, R. Please, I’m so sorry.”

            R blinked slowly and gurgled, “J-Ja-ac-c-ob.”

            Enjolras could have cried. He set to work untying ‘Parnasse’s expert knots and eventually screamed with frustration when after five minutes of work he’d only managed to free R’s ankles. He went scrounging around in the underbrush and found the remains of his brother’s pocket knife. “This’ll have to do,” he murmured, and sawed at the knots around R’s wrists and middle. The rope fell to the ground much quicker this time. “Can you stand?” Enjolras whispered.

            R nodded, clearly pained by the motion. “M-may-may-b-be,” he gritted out.

            Enjolras hooked an arm around the shorter boy’s middle and threw his injured arm over his shoulders before hauling him up. R roared with pain. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Enjolras cried. “Jesus, R, I’m so sorry. I’ll explain everything, I promise. We just – we need to get out of here first. D’you know anywhere safe? Maybe?”

            “Briars,” R managed. “Go W-won’t s-see.”

            “Oh. Uh, okay! Okay! Yeah. He’d find us in any building…he’d think we ran home…yeah.” Enjolras half-dragged R deeper into the forest through a thicket of low growing briars, trying his best not to wince as they dug into his arms and legs. He tried to cover R with his body as much as he could. Anything not to see him hurting anymore. The two made slow, painful progress into the brush, ducking under the thorny plants.  Finally, R collapsed to the ground when he couldn’t walk anymore.

            “Can’t,” he groaned, “can’t…any f-fur-further.”

            “Okay. That’s fine,” Enjolras whispered. He flattened himself to the ground, hoping the thorny plants all around them would shield them from ‘Parnasse’s fury. “You deserve an explanation, R. I have to tell you. I can’t…I can’t have you think any worse of me than you already do…”

            “Jacob,” R whispered back.

            “That’s not my name. My name is Julien Enjolras. That’s my brother Montparnasse Enjolras. We’re twins. We…we’re in a…gang. The Family. Our dad is the leader.” He saw each word send a shock through R’s broken body. He forced himself to go on, the words coming out faster and faster. “Mont and I go by fake names every day. We – we don’t go to school. We move around all the time…Jesus Christ. R, I’ve done things that would make you hate me if don’t already. I’m so sorry. I’m going to talk about him. Montparnasse, I mean. I know he did horrible things to you and you’re probably going to have PTSD from this, but you…I don’t expect you to sympathize him with. Look, Montparnasse…he’s unhinged. He’s pretty much crazy now. He – he used to be so soft and sweet. I know he seems crazy and evil…he is crazy and evil.  He used to be a normal, good kid but I – I warped him. I hit him and cuffed him and told him to toughen up. You can’t live like us if you’re not tough and hard, R. You’d go nuts in a minute if you weren’t. But he changed. He took what I said too seriously or something. He started getting…crazy. He was cruel. He wasn’t a little kid anymore. He was just…mad.”

            Enjolras paused and took a gasping breath, wondering if he could ever redeem himself in R’s eyes. He choked back a sob. “I’ve always been Dad’s favorite. I could see why when I was little. I was tough and I – I idolized him. I worshipped my dad like a fucking god.  He ate that shit up because he’s a vain, narcissistic fuck. He was always so disappointed in Mont. So angry with him. Slapping him around and shit. I realize now…Dad was, um, abusive. I guess, compared to a normal parent. Now Mont is all crazy and cruel and just like Dad, but he still loves me more.  I don’t know why, if it’s some test for him…” He shook his head. “It’s not important. It’s not important, R.”   

            R was about to open his mouth to reply when they heard a distant crashing and crunching.  They stayed silent, scared to even breathe and afraid Montparnasse would hear their heartbeats. Enjolras impulsively wrapped his arms around the shorter boy and pulled him close. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “For everything. I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

            R’s frame shook. “My name is Nicolas Grantaire,” he whispered back. “I thought…you needed to know.”

            “Nice to meet you,” Enjolras joked weakly.

            “Enjy?” came Montparnasse’s voice. “Enj, where are you? Enj! Hello? Boy! Boy! Enj!” His voice grew higher and more hysterical with each yell. “Where are you?!” he roared. They heard running footsteps come closer, then farther away, then closer.

            Enjolras held Nicolas Grantaire to him, breathing in his scent – a mixture of pine, sweat, and blood. He clutched at that young teen as if it were the last thing he’d ever do. They listened to Montparnasse tramp around, ranting and raving for what seemed like years. They heard him curse Grantaire with all of his spirit, use every vile name that existed. They heard him call for Enjolras in a voice so desperate and riddled with madness it sounded like he’d cracked for good. Still the boys huddled there, silent and quivering.

            Enjolras couldn’t remember a time he’d ever been so afraid. This in itself shocked him. He had spent many nights lying in bed, holding Montparnasse much the way he was holding Grantaire, begrudgingly at first and then willingly, as they heard their father torturing someone in the garage. And then, when their personalities had switched like a coin flip, Enjolras had been the one that needed holding and hushing. He hadn’t been scared then. Anxious, exhausted, irritated, stressed, but never afraid. He knew Dad wouldn’t hurt him.

            And until today, he was sure his own twin brother wouldn’t either.

            About three hours later, Montparnasse biked away. They waited another twenty minutes before R’s wounds were deemed too urgent to go unattended to. And then, they slowly and painfully made their way out of the clearing, the forest, and into the suburb. Enjolras took the greatest risk of his life and nearly dragged R into his home. He took the boy to his room, dressed his wounds and cared for him. When he and R fell asleep together, curled like abandoned kittens, they thought things could maybe, possibly be alright.

            For tonight, at least.

XXX

And so it went. The two teens, despite knowing better, met each night from then on. R grew accomplished in the art of throwing small pebbles at Enj’s window, and Enj was the best slider-into-innocuous-vehicles in the neighborhood. They sat on the hood of R’s car and counted stars. They walked in the forest when Grantaire was well enough. They snuck into the suburb’s pools at midnight and swam until their lungs gave out. Ran through moonlit parks and played like children.

            For exactly two months, life was paradise. A time of adventure and sweetness. Chaste kisses shared among the redwood trees and burning ones in the safety of R’s bedroom. It was full of passion and heat and love and innocence.

 _When first we laid eyes,_  
I swore to no compromise,  
'Til I felt my caress on your skin.

 _Well, how soon we were betrayed._  
Your sister gave us away.  
And your father came all unhinged.

            One night, nestled under R’s comforter with the shorter boy cuddled up in his arms, Enj heard a sentence that made his heart melt. “You know, the second I saw you, I loved you,” he said.

            “How could you have known that?” Enjolras asked gently. “We were just kids.”

            “I was five, yeah, but I knew what love felt like. I felt it the second I saw my little sisters.” He was referring to his adopted sisters, Eponine and Azelma. They were on the floor below them, actually, staying up late to watch a horror movie. R had laughed about their antics, saying that if a thirteen-year-old and an eleven-year-old could make it through The Exorcist without nightmares, he’d be damned. “They came from hell, y’know. They were skittish like shelter dogs when we first adopted them. They weren’t sweet little girls like they are now. But I loved them anyway. And I loved you too. When I was thirteen and I saw you there, my chest ached. I loved you even more. And now…” He laid a soft kiss on Enjolras’s lips. “I love you more than life itself.”

            Enjolras wanted to cry. “But why?” he said softly. “I’m a criminal.” He sat up, pushed R away slightly. “Kid, my dad would kill your whole family if he knew I was with you. Doesn’t matter that your sisters are children. He’d fuck them first.” He felt a surge of anger, some old shred of the intensity he’d had as a younger teen. Even as he saw the horrified look in R’s dark eyes, saw his hand ghost to the scar that he now wore long sleeves to hide. “Yeah, he’d let my brother and I go at them if he wanted. Doesn’t matter that ‘Zelma is eleven. I’m sure ‘Parnasse would like that even more.” He glared hard. “You’re too comfortable around me, Nicolas Grantaire. I could kill you in a dozen different ways if I wanted. You forget what I grew up like. You can’t just tell me you love me! You CAN’T YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!” He screamed the part, echoed by two shrill yelps from downstairs and running footsteps towards them.

            The door to R’s room banged open and there stood Eponine and Azelma, clutching each other with fright. Azelma was crying. Enjolras just had time to duck under the blankets before the girls ran towards the bed.

            “Sh-she-she-she,” Azelma sobbed.

            Eponine, shaking but not crying, managed, “She mutilated herself with a cross…like…down there. And – and when her mom came into the room…” She trailed off. “We shouldn’t watch this movie.”

            R hushed his sisters, assured him that the movie they were watching was just that, a movie. The disturbing scene they’d watched was just made to shock people, nothing more. Things like that didn’t happen in real life. He eventually calmed them down and sent them to bed, with a stern warning to stop fucking watching horror movies if they were going to get terrified at any little thing.

            Eventually, Enjolras was able to push the blankets back and look at R with sad, hard eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “That wasn’t okay.”

            “No,” R agreed, “it wasn’t.”

            And life went on. Despite their hardships, the two were more in love than anyone in the world. Those two months were bliss, outbursts and all. Eventually, Enjolras felt comfortable enough to meet R’s family. His parents were kind and doting, if a bit hippy dippy. His sisters were just as sweet as he said they were, Azelma especially. She was an innocent kid, unlike Eponine. The girl, despite her apparent terror at horror movies, had hard eyes that looked like she’d seen too much. Something about her put Enj mildly on edge.

            One day, when Enjolras was at home anxiously waiting for night to come, his brother shocked him. They were in the living room, lounging on the plush beige couches typical of all the suburban homes. Dad kept the décor of their house muted and normal, to blend in as much as possible and ward off questions. The black-haired boy was working furiously at a Rubix cube when he blurted, “I have a girlfriend.”

            Enj, who was reading a book, had been on edge around his twin ever since the forest. It didn’t seem like Mont believed his half-assed excuse about R overpowering him and dragging him into the brambles. Enjolras wouldn’t have believed himself! And now, something like this was…concerning. “Oh…” he said slowly, and closed the book. “You do?”

            “Yeah,” ‘Parnasse said, looking up from the now-solved cube. It took him about a minute and a half to do them. It wasn’t a challenge, just something to channel his savage energy into for at least a minute or so. He grinned. “She’s a little young, but damn is she fine. She’s skinny and shit, but not, like, one of those anorexic girls.” Something about his grin was very unsettling.

            “Awesome,” Enjolras said. “What’s her name?”

            Montparnasse didn’t respond: he was looking at his phone. He texted back and forth with someone for a few minutes before looking and grinning that unsettling grin again. “I just invited her over, actually. She’s taking the bus, so it’ll be like a half hour. That okay?” Another text popped up for him to read before he frowned. “She’s bringing her brother. Guess he won’t let her out without supervision. Hey – maybe I’ll have to take him out!” He snorted with laughter and Enjolras pretended to join in.

            They waited anxiously for fifteen minutes before Mont fired off another few texts and grinned to himself. “We’re gonna meet in the park. I’m not about to bring her over here unless she’s a fully inducted Family member.” God, the shit he spewed, it was just like he was parroting Dad. The two walked over to the public park and sat at a picnic bench. “She knows me as Ricky, but she doesn’t know my last name. I’m gonna introduce you as Brayden. That good?”

            Enjolras nodded, distracted and worried. He stared down at the picnic table, reading all the shit kids had carved into it over the years. “Anna Blake eats ass for free” was his personal favorite, closely followed by “1-800-WHORES-NOW!” ‘Parnasse nudged him sharply in the ribs and nodded in the direction of two figures walking towards them. “That’s her.”

            The sight before Enjolras made his stomach turn. “Oh…no,” he whispered. Up walked R and Eponine, each looking as shocked as the other.

            There were about two seconds of utter silence before Eponine blurted, “Enj? You’re Ricky’s brother?”    

            Montparnasse literally snarled as he looked at Grantaire. “Boy,” he hissed.

            “Enj?!” R cried, before running into the blonde boy’s arms.

            Enjolras let out a choked noise before muttering, “Oh, R…”

            Montparnasse recovered from the shock first. “Well, well,” he chuckled. “What a weird impasse we’re at. Looks like my brother has been lying to me. And looks like my girl is related to the little shit that’s caused me so many issues over the years.”

            “Ricky?” Eponine asked uncertainly. She held out her hand, waiting for Montparnasse to take it. “What’s…what’s going on?”

            “Hey Pony, you ever heard of that notorious gang, The Family?” ‘Parnasse asked.

            Eponine let her hand drop and shrugged, a tight, nervous gesture. “I mean, I guess. No one knows much about them, I think. They do know that the leader is some French guy called Valentin. But they’re really well-known for being malicious and…well… a take-no-prisoners mentality, right?”

            Montparnasse ghosted his hand down her cheek and smiled indulgently. “Exactly right, babe,” he said fondly, and chucked her chin. “And here’s a tidbit I bet you didn’t know: the leader of the Family, Valentin Enjolras, has two sons – Julien and Montparnasse.” He gestured to Enj, who was holding R like he’d never let go. “I hate to say that I lied to you, Pony, but my name’s not Ricky.  You know, now and again, some people call me Monty...”

            Eponine gasped and stumbled back. “You…you’re…I…” she stammered.  When she finally got her voice back, she shouted, “You’re in The Family!” She glanced wildly around her, looking for some escape route. “Your dad. Your dad is Valentin Enjolras. And…you’re Montparnasse.” She pointed at R and Enjolras. “And you!” she screamed. “You’ve been dating my brother and you’re a criminal! You’re evil! R, you –you…”

            “I know who he is, ‘Ponine,” R said softly. “I know. And you need to get out of here right now. Your boyfriend is extremely dangerous.” He made a sudden commotion, breaking free of Enjolras’s hold and flapping his arms like a crazy person. “GO! GO! RUN! NOW, ‘PONINE!” Eponine, panic-stricken, started to sprint away. The trio of boys watched her dashing through the grass and darting around trees and happy families. She crested a grassy hill and was soon out of sight.

            “Well,” ‘Parnasse laughed. “She’s a fast one. Y’know, Boy, your sister is very good at sucking dick.”  

            Enjolras had to hold R back. The stocky boy struggled against his boyfriend’s hold to get at Montparnasse. “Shut the fuck up!” he roared. “You’re lying! If you’re not, I’ll fucking kill you! Let me go, Enjolras!”

            “Good God. Do you really think you can fight me, Boy? I’m older than you, stronger than you, and I’m armed.” He pulled out a switchblade . “And Enjy, I’m disappointed in you. You not only lied to me about this little fucker, but now you’re fucking him too?” He shook his head sadly. “My own brother. You just got yourself in bad situation, E.” With that,

            Montparnasse took off running. He ran in the direction of their house, and Enjolras felt a chill run down his spine. He held R as tightly as he could, shaking with fear. “He’s going to get Dad. That’s…that’s how we settled things when we were young. Get Dad and see whose side he takes. “I know he’s hoping Dad will kill me. It’s no use running.”

            And it wasn’t. Within five minutes, Dad’s expensive Bentley purred up to the curb. He and Montparnasse walked out slowly, confidently. They cut across the grass, ignored by happy families and playing children alike. Dad’s draconian presence was never more prevalent than in that moment. He was tall, his angular face looking nearly cartoonish. His long blonde hair was paler than ever, falling down his back in waves. And for the first time in his life, his icy eyes held no sympathy for Julien Enjolras.

            “Dad,” Enjolras cried softly, hoping for some modicum of sympathy.  Recognition, even. Not this…this expressionless hatred. He held R so tight, he nearly cracked the boy’s ribs. “Dad, please. I know ‘Parnasse has told you his version of things, but I swear it’s not like that. R doesn’t’ know any Family secrets. He…I…Dad, I love him. _Please_.” Tears ran down his cheeks. “Please.”

            Dad shook his head. “I expected so much better of you, son. I trusted you. And now…now you have betrayed me.” He put a hand on Montparnasse’s back, gave him a hard clap. “You’re a good, man, ‘Parnasse,” Dad said. “You’re a loyal son. I will admit, I was hard on you all those years, but you have given me loyalty unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Good boy.” Montparnasse practically glowed. “Get in the car,” Dad snarled. “Now.”

            And what choice did they have?  R and Enjolras followed Dad into the car, sitting in the back and clinging to each other. “I love you,” they whispered to each other.

   
_So wait for the stone on your window, your window._  
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go.  
  
But Oh Valencia,  
With your blood still warm on the ground.  
Valencia.  
And I swear to the stars,  
I'll burn this whole city down!  
  
All I heard was a shout  
Of your brother calling me out.  
And you ran like a fool to my side.

            The car glided silently down the road, all four occupants silent. They drove into the suburb, the two passengers in back ushered quietly into a nice but modest house. They were taken into the garage, a large room featureless save for the drain in the center of the room. Oh, and the rack full of sharp metal torture instruments. The two teens were separated, one on the left side of the garage and one on the right. They were screamed at by a beautiful young man with black hair and eyes harder than diamonds. When the boy had gotten all of the intensity out of his system, he spent a good half minute breathing hard and red in the face. The tall man with blonde hair patted his son on the back and smiled at him encouragingly. He said, “Son, they are yours to do with as you like.”

            The son screamed, “Come here, Boy!  Walk over to me. And walk slowly. This is the last time you’ll ever be using your legs.”

            The teen he was speaking to, a short and stocky thing of fifteen, opted to run over to his love instead of obeying the ominous order. “R, no!” the blonde cried.

 _Well the shot, it hit hard_ __  
And your frame went limp in my arms  
And an oath of love was your dying cry  
  
So wait for the stone on your window, your window  
Wait by the car and we'll, go we'll go  
  
But Oh Valencia  
With your blood still warm on the ground  
Valencia  
And I'll burn this whole city down  
Valencia __  
_With your blood getting cold on the ground_ __  
Valencia  
And I swear to the stars  
I'll burn this whole city down   

            The gun Montparnasse pulled was loud, the recoil hard and unforgiving. The bullet was the same. It sank into Nicolas Grantaire’s back and ricocheted around inside him. The boy fell forward, sinking into Julien Enjolras’s arms with a sigh. When he opened his mouth, a torrent of blood flowed out. He closed his mouth, looking a bit confused, and opened it again. The blood bubbled past his lips, along with the words, “I’ve loved you since I met you.” And then Nicolas Grantaire – sometimes known as R – sagged limply in Julien Enjolras’s arms.

            And Enjolras screamed. He opened his mouth and shrieked, wailed, and raved. He clutched the bleeding boy in his arms like a lifeline and sobbed harder than any person has sobbed before. He sank to his knees and brought the dead body with him. He looked around, yelping hysterically, blinded by blood and tears. Finally, his screeches became words, “YOU KILLED HIM YOU MONSTER YOU KILLED HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVED HIM YOU’RE A FUCKING MONSTER I’M GOING TO KILL YOU I WILL ENSURE YOU BOTH DIE PAINFULLY!” And then, he let go of R.

            He rose to his feet and walked – still sobbing – towards his brother. Montparnasse was so shocked that he stood there, still clutching the gun. Enjolras snatched it from his twin’s hands.  He pointed it at Dad and ‘Parnasse, the gun shaking wildly.

            “I’ll kill you!” he sobbed. “I’ll kill you both!”

            “Enjy!” Montparnasse cried. “It had to be done! It’s okay, now, promise. I wasn’t going to hurt you – I was just doing to take him out. Everything is okay now, brother. Put the gun do –” And then, with a noise like thunder, his head exploded.  Bloody chunks of brain hit the back wall and the corpse that was once a beautiful boy crumpled to the ground.

            The father, in an instant, had lost one half of his children.  For the first time in his life, he felt fear. He looked at the deranged teen that had once adored him and put up his hands. “Please, Julien, please,” he begged. “Don’t do this. I love you.”

            Julien sobbed, screamed that if his father had never loved him. And then the dragon-like man was gone, too, in a haze of blood and skull fragments and the tears of a ruined boy.

            And then, the ruined boy walked away from the corpses of his family. The two men had been Family and family. Now they were neither. He walked away from them and towards the boy he had loved. Still loved. He hugged the body of Nicolas Grantaire to him, whispered, “I love you.”  

            And then, just like that, they were reunited

 

    


End file.
